Browsing by Author "Gomez, Ricardo"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Maternal and neonatal circulating visfatin concentrations in patients with pre-eclampsia and a small-for-gestational age neonate
    (TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, 2010) Mazaki Tovi, Shali; Vaisbuch, Edi; Romero, Roberto; Kusanovic, Juan Pedro; Chaiworapongsa, Tinnakorn; Kim, Sun Kwon; Nhan Chang, Chia Ling; Gomez, Ricardo; Savasan, Zeynep Alpay; Madan, Ichchha; Yoon, Bo Hyun; Yeo, Lami; Mittal, Pooja; Ogge, Giovanna; Gonzalez, Juan M.; Hassan, Sonia S.
    Objective. Maternal circulating visfatin concentrations are higher in patients with a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) neonate than in those who delivered an appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA) neonate or in those with pre-eclampsia. It has been proposed that enhanced transfer of visfatin from the foetal to maternal circulation may account for the high concentrations of maternal visfatin observed in patients with an SGA neonate. The aims of this study were: (1) to determine whether cord blood visfatin concentrations differ between normal neonates, SGA neonates and newborns of pre-eclamptic mothers; and (2) to assess the relationship between maternal and foetal circulating visfatin concentrations in patients with an SGA neonate and those with pre-eclampsia.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Polymorphisms in maternal and fetal genes encoding for proteins involved in extracellular matrix metabolism alter the risk for small-for-gestational-age
    (TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, 2011) Edwards, Digna R. Velez; Romero, Roberto; Kusanovic, Juan Pedro; Hassan, Sonia S.; Mazaki Tovi, Shali; Vaisbuch, Edi; Kim, Chong Jai; Erez, Offer; Chaiworapongsa, Tinnakorn; Pearce, Brad D.; Bartlett, Jacquelaine; Friel, Lara A.; Salisbury, Benjamin A.; Anant, Madan Kumar; Vovis, Gerald F.; Lee, Min Seob; Gomez, Ricardo; Behnke, Ernesto; Oyarzun, Enrique; Tromp, Gerard; Menon, Ramkumar; Williams, Scott M.
    Objective. To examine the association between maternal and fetal genetic variants and small-for-gestational-age (SGA).
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    The change in concentrations of angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors in maternal plasma between the first and second trimesters in risk assessment for the subsequent development of preeclampsia and small-for-gestational age
    (TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, 2008) Erez, Offer; Romero, Roberto; Espinoza, Jimmy; Fu, Wenjiang; Todem, David; Kusanovic, Juan Pedro; Gotsch, Francesca; Edwin, Samuel; Nien, Jyh Kae; Chaiworapongsa, Tinnakorn; Mittal, Pooja; Mazaki Tovi, Shali; Than, Nandor Gabor; Gomez, Ricardo; Hassan, Sonia S.
    Introduction. An imbalance between angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors has been proposed as central to the pathophysiology of preeclampsia (PE). Indeed, patients with PE and those delivering small-for-gestational age (SGA) neonates have higher plasma concentrations of soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (sVEGFR-1) and the soluble form of endoglin (s-Eng), as well as lower plasma concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and placental growth factor (PlGF) than do patients with normal pregnancies. Of note, this imbalance has been observed before the clinical presentation of PE or the delivery of an SGA neonate. The objective of this study was to determine if changes in the profile of angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors in maternal plasma between the first and second trimesters are associated with a high risk for the subsequent development of PE and/or delivery of an SGA neonate.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    The concentration of surfactant protein - A in amniotic fluid decreases in spontaneous human parturition at term
    (TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, 2008) Chaiworapongsa, Tinnakorn; Hong, Joon Seok; Hull, William M.; Kim, Chong Jai; Gomez, Ricardo; Mazor, Moshe; Romero, Roberto; Whitsett, Jeffrey A.
    Objective. The fetus is thought to play a central role in the onset of labor. Pulmonary surfactant protein (SP)-A, secreted by the maturing fetal lung, has been implicated in the mechanisms initiating parturition in mice. The present study was conducted to determine whether amniotic fluid concentrations of SP-A and SP-B change during human parturition. Study design. Amniotic fluid SP-A and SP-B concentrations were measured with a sensitive and specific ELISA in the following groups of pregnant women: (1) mid-trimester of pregnancy, between 15 and 18 weeks of gestation (n=29), (2) term pregnancy not in labor (n=28), and (3) term pregnancy in spontaneous labor (n=26). Non-parametric statistics were used for analysis. Results. SP-A was detected in all amniotic fluid samples. SP-B was detected in 24.1% (7/29) of mid-trimester samples and in all samples at term. The median amniotic fluid concentrations of SP-A and SP-B were significantly higher in women at term than in women in the mid-trimester (SP-A term no labor: median 5.6g/mL, range 2.2-15.2g/mL vs. mid-trimester: median 1.64g/mL, range 0.1-4.7g/mL, and SP-B term no labor: median 0.54g/mL, range 0.17-1.99g/mL vs. mid-trimester: median 0g/mL, range 0-0.35g/mL; both p0.001). The median amniotic fluid SP-A concentration in women at term in labor was significantly lower than that in women at term not in labor (term in labor: median 2.7g/mL, range 1.2-10.1g/mL vs. term no labor: median 5.6g/mL, range 2.2-15.2g/mL; p0.001). There was no significant difference in the median amniotic fluid SP-B concentrations between women in labor and those not in labor (term in labor: median 0.47g/mL, range 0.04-1.32g/mL vs. term no labor: median 0.54g/mL, range 0.17-1.99g/mL; p=0.2). Conclusion. The amniotic fluid concentration of SP-A decreases in spontaneous human parturition at term.